This invention concerns the backfilling of ditches dug into the ground for the purpose of laying subterranean pipelines and electrical cables and for other purposes, and more particularly relates to apparatus adapted to use with a front end loader for the backfilling of ditches.
In the digging of elongated ditches for the underground placement of pipes, cables and the like, the excavated soil is generally piled alongside the ditch. In the backfilling operation, the excavated soil or other backfill material is usually handled by a front end loader apparatus comprised of a tractor having on it forward extremity a dumpable scoop elongated perpendicularly to the tractor's path of travel. In such backfilling, the front end loader must make repeated step-wise perpendicular approaches to the ditch so that, when the scoop is dumped above the ditch, its elongated dimension is parallel to the direction of elongation of the ditch.
The repeated cyclical pattern of movement of the front end loader is wasteful of fuel and operator time, and produces considerable wear upon the apparatus.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved method for filling elongated ditch-like excavations.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method for simplifying the backfilling of elongated ditches by a front end loader.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for removable attachment to said front end loader to simplify the backfilling of elongated ditches.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide attachment apparatus of the aforesaid nature of rugged and durable construction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.